GPS?

[Echo5Hotel]

Maybe I have missed something in the game all this time and if I have then someone please set me straight.  WHy hasn't someone made a GPS addon that allows the players to see their location on the map if they are on the ground?  GPS's are common pieces of soldier equipment these days and being able to find your location on the map would be helpful to many players, new and vets alike, I think.  I can do terrain association or re-sectioning to find my location on the maps but I was trained to do it.  I dare say most people are not however.

[greg147]

Its true, they should be on the game  

But did they have them in 1985?

I think there is sort of a GPS, and that the green box that tells you your position in co-ords or whatever. Not really the same as modern ones though  

[Echo5Hotel]

They were in their infancy in 1985 but there are many people that play OFP in modern settings.  Probably more so than play in the 1985 era.

[Dubieman]

Its basically a script. A little getpos loop, a setposmarker, and another loop.

There should be one in the ed depot, or you could make one yourself.

[XCess]

_marker = _this select 0

#loop
_marker setMarkerPos getPos Player

~0.0001
goto"loop"

that should be it, althought u might want to change the loop speed to whatever.

[Homefry31464]

There is a GPS already in game... play in beginner mode if you don't believe me.  It's the little thing that shows your position in terms of map cords....

[OrangeLeader]

Yeah the player is show on the map during the game. That is way better than any GPS. It is exact location. GPS would have a margin of error. and there is no point in having the exact coord. What would you do with it. Unless you were calling in strike or extration and had to punch in the numbers. I don't see how that would enhance the game.

As for the modern idea...today we have gone more toward real time maps then GPS. GPS was designed to be a more accurate and advanced compass. TOday we combinded that into a computer that shows your position on a map in real time. That is what OFP already does.

[Homefry31464]

Yeah the player is show on the map during the game. That is way better than any GPS. It is exact location. GPS would have a margin of error. and there is no point in having the exact coord. What would you do with it. Unless you were calling in strike or extration and had to punch in the numbers. I don't see how that would enhance the game.

As for the modern idea...today we have gone more toward real time maps then GPS. GPS was designed to be a more accurate and advanced compass. TOday we combinded that into a computer that shows your position on a map in real time. That is what OFP already does.

I meant the GPS itself, not the mark on the map.

[greg147]

Also, isn't GPS the thing that you need 3 satillites to get into the right allignment position to work? Or is that a SATCOM  

[XCess]

if u put:
 
showGPS = true;

into the description.ext file of the mission theGPS that shows ur co-ords will be displayed on map view, the script i wrote before:
 

_marker = _this select 0

#loop
_marker setMarkerPos getPos Player

~0.0001
goto"loop"

will set a marker for your position.

[XCess]

Here's a working version that will show co-ords and exact unit position on the map. Yeah there's a couple more lines than in my example but it's basically the same.. just two more variables for the x and y co-ords.

*EDIT*
the markers name is gpsM. The variable for marker name didn't work but it seems pretty pointless to me anyway as the GPS is for the player.

[Echo5Hotel]

Thanks for all the responses.  My internet connection has been down for a few days while I was moving and I couldn't get to another connection to see what was going on.  Thanks for the zipped script and I wil check it out when I get home from work tonight.

[Echo5Hotel]

Yeah the player is show on the map during the game. That is way better than any GPS. It is exact location. GPS would have a margin of error. and there is no point in having the exact coord. What would you do with it. Unless you were calling in strike or extration and had to punch in the numbers. I don't see how that would enhance the game.

I am doing a mission where I need a forward observer in a light unit to find his position quickly without going to using the cadet settings and all that comes with it.

As for the modern idea...today we have gone more toward real time maps then GPS. GPS was designed to be a more accurate and advanced compass. TOday we combinded that into a computer that shows your position on a map in real time. That is what OFP already does.

Roger that but not all ground units are toting a computer.  Many are toting a GPS system.  At least a year ago some of my still active friends were carrying them in the field still.  Of course we are talking about light infantry as well in an LLVI team.  

Oh, Greg 147, yes they need three sats above the horizon to work but this is not really an issue in the world, or should I say in orbit, these days.